COVID Lockdown - Goals. . . . What Goals? 8-(

 Well, as Jan 21 comes and goes the UK COVID lockdown continues. So my take is that sporting events will probably dry up for the year again. My target is. . . .was. . . . The London Duathlon scheduled for 25 Apr 21. Training has been going well but with less than 3 months to go, I doubt the event will happen. As with many people, planning the racing for 2021, I must assume there will be no IRL racing. So where will the racing fix come from? It seems that Zwift will continue to fill the cycling racing void. As for running, I am thinking that I must plan for some Time Trials - maybe a 5k TT focus. More to come on this topic.

Previous Blog posts have detailed the Zwift racing I have done with Frank Whittles WhittleFit Zwift team that participates in the Zwift WGT Race League. I had a good result a few weeks ago in a drafting Innsbruck race that incorporated 2 big climbs. Courses with long climbs suit me; hence, I targeted the next mountainous race - which was today! I have been getting some decent training in with long-time buddy Jase Walkley, focusing on training hard when recovered (guided by my Whoop). Jase was riding today too; the course was the classic Tour of Fire and Ice, starting at the base of the volcano and leading up to the Alp Du Zwift. Then a pain-fest up the Alp to finish. To spice things up further, the race was non-drafting. So, basically, a mountain TT.

We grabbed a decent warm up by riding Stage 6 of the Tour De Zwift, which was about an hour ride at various effort levels. The Race was next. My plan was to start steady, maintaining around 3.8 W/Kg. I felt ok as we headed towards the Jungle but I was way back around 170th position. I figured that I must hold back until the Alp climb started. AS the start of the Alp approached, I found myself alongside both Jase and Frank, So I figured I was in good company as these guys are strong riders. It was time to employ my climbing strategy - 1 min out the saddle, 30 sec seated. I pretty much maintained this sequence for the entire climb. I was controlled but on the edge of blowing - just where I needed to be. I still managed to up the power towards the end to finish strong and grab 3rd place in the B Cat according to Zwift Power. Zwift gifted me an updated FTP of 250W too.

   

The Zwift events have really filled a void for me, especially with some really icy weather lately. At the moment the Tour De Zwift is underway also. I have been fortunate to get my hands on the real life kit too!

Next series for me to focus on is the Feb 2021 Haute Route Challenge. More on thise event soon.

I am bringing in more focus to my running next also. Whooping fantastic. . . .

Measured Progress and Training Dungeon Re-vamp

 My Whoop adventure continues - oh, Happy New Year folks  8-)

I have 10 days to go before I can get my initial month of baseline data but all is looking good so far. I am sleeping longer and better than ever. Just focussing on these recovery necessities is making a difference to my training approach. I have the next Zwift race for WhittleFit tomorrow and I have ensured that I am rested prior to the event, which is basically a 60k TT (Zwift draft effect disabled). Let's see how I feel and how I perform. The flat TT course does not really suit me that well but I hope to be in the top 10% of the B Cat racers. The event after this is far better for me as it is basically a mountain TT up ADZ. My PB is 47:40 for the Alp. . . . .Game on!

Over the last few weeks I have been making some changes to my indoor training environment - the garage!  It was becoming a dump and training was squeezed into a corner. I have not got any before pics but below are some shots of how it looks now - very different.

I sorted the rubbish that I have been hoarding (including old furniture that was used to store bits and bobs), fitted some wall mounted bike rack clasps, fitted 2 bays of shelving for the bits and bobs, and lay a soft gym tiled floor to enable static workouts.  The place feels great now. .  .very happy

Sporting my new Biemme all weather jacket. Super bit of kit that regulates temperature and keeps you dry. Plus it is mega-aero!

Below is Julie's new e-bike! A TK Maxx bargain and hopefully a useful addition to enable us to have fun riding together.

The training den with new floor and bikes stowed better

So what does 2021 promise? Probably more turmoil! With another full lockdown due to COVID-19 in progress I have no idea if the London Duathlon will be allowed on 25 April. To be honest, I have my doubts and this is impacting my motivation. Until I know for sure that this event will be cancelled, I will prepare as normal. So this means introducing some more speed into my running - gradually! I have already upped the intensity of hill reps and continued the long runs up to 21k.

Onwards and upwards. . . . 

Whoop - Less is More?

 I have it! I a Whooping! Yes, my wrist now has a permanent implant, with the Whoop wristband worn 24/7. I have data from 26 Dec 20; this short period has provided an initial baseline of my personal bodily readings: HR, HRV, Strain, Sleep and Recovery. After the first 30 days of data, I will receive a more detailed and accurate Whoop experience.

So what are my initial thoughts? I like it. . . .Lots. HRV seems to be the key variable and key indicator as to how recovered the body has recovered. In turn, the overall recovery % then provides a pointer as to how hard you should push your body in training. I have already started to change planned sessions and take extra recovery - some recovery training or a day off.

That said, there is a balance to be struck. Sometimes, it is ok to build fatigue in a planned way. The key is knowing when to back off the intensity to let the body adapt. I know all this - and have done for years! But the Whoop experience provides data driven guidance in real time. For example, I was not recovered when scheduled to race on Zwift (Whoop recovery n the red at 22%). Racing on Zwift is brutally hard and there is now way of having an easy race. So I backed off and rode an easier Group ride. I will have to pick my max intensity days wisely!

I have limited data at the moment but come the end of Jan i will have a true baseline. The Whoop data for me at the moment is still interesting. I have a high HRV when fully recovered - but too early to know what my 'normal' HRV actually is as my reading is up and down, which is to be expected with various strains each day due to training.

Below are some data screen grabs from the Whoop website. I really hope I can make fitness gains - or at least maximize fitness for my age and capability!

Recovery and Racing

My last post focused on the plan to use the Whoop device to track my recovery and sleep qty and quality. My Whoop band arrived yesterday and it is stashed for a grand opening on Christmas day. I am genuinely excited to see how tracking my recovery can enhance performance. For the longest time my focus has been on training volume, intensity, times, power. . . . .The list goes on. The point is, rarely has my focus been on recovery. My Tri buddies would no doubt verify that I tend to over-train. In my mind, I see tangible training activity with all the numbers, speeds, times etc. But my mind struggles when I am resting - it tells me that I am losing fitness, training=progress. Logically, I know the improvements and adaptation of training takes place when the body is in recovery and getting sufficient rest. But I ignore it - Doh!! The upshot is, the Whoop band looks to be a tool that resonates with the way my brain is wired. 

I am further reminded of the benefits of recovery and rest, following my performance in the Zwift WGT race yesterday. I have been racing for WhittleFit during his series. Last week I had to withdraw due to what was essentially exhaustion from lack of sleep and some over-training. The week leading up to the race yesterday was a very different week, compared to the previous exhaustion week. I had 2 rest days of no training (other than some light core work) and no real intense training. The result was really quite significant and I couldn't quite believe how strong I felt.

In previous races I had not done so well in my B Cat; mid-20s was my best result. Yesterday, I finished 6th and was in the mix on the final climb; at one point, I thought I had a chance of the win. I actually broke away on the climb and thought the elastic had broken as I had a 6 second lead.

However, some of those riders in the lead pack must have been keeping their powder dry! 2 guys pulled away near the top of the climb. I was in the mix for 3rd right up to the sprint. My poor sprinting ability showed again but what an improvement. The course did suit me well, with 2 long climbs. 

But the really valuable thing was that my heart rate was able to go high and the perceived effort was not as gasping as it had been. I was controlled with a HR of 170 and hit a max of 181. I cannot remember when I was last n the 180+ range.

So here's to a Whooping Christmas!

Nearly Year End - Whoop!

 Another year end nearly here. Time certainly accelerates - as does aging, seemingly! And what a strange year it has been. The COVID-19 impact has been huge everywhere. As I have said before, from my training and domestic circumstances, the impact has been nothing but positive. My training volume has increased massively, as has the training consistency. My hope is that my race performance at the London Duathlon will be somewhere back to expectation. But what is that expectation? My last true long distance race test was way back in 2015 at the Bahrain IM 70.3!

My feeling (physical sensations) is that the passing of time and the ravages of 'stuff' since leaving the RAF will mean I will never get back to that 2015 performance level. Mentally, I think I have finally accepted this fact and now I can focus on enjoying the racing but maintaining a competitive edge.

Also vitally important - and I have been saying this for at least 10 years - is strength and conditioning. Over the last 2 months I have maintained this training focus and I feel in a better place for it. I do find it difficult to sustain these sessions as my head tells me that I am missing specific training! But this is specific training! To help, I augmented my Kettlebell collection by adding a 12.5kg and a 20kg

So the pain-cave is now a great utility and I really love the value it provides. I have also been very fortunate to get some good deals on Le Col cycling clothing. Whilst this gear is very expensive, the quality and look is fabulous. Here is the latest addition - the Eurosport bespoke kit:

I look forward to some sunny rides next year!

So I have improved training consistency, a great pain-cave with the best smart turbo trainer available (the Tacx Neo 2T, IMHO), but the one thing missing to maximize my training for the best performance possible is my ability to monitor recovery/fatigue. This is something that has always been really difficult for me; I tend to smash everything and rest when I break. This is not good. To remedy this, I have signed up for a Whoop band! Not cheap but the data provided for this wearable tech looks awesome. The Variable Heart Rate monitoring looks great, as does the sleep monitoring capability. In essence, I will receive guidance on my physical and mental stress levels that will indicate how well recovered I am - or not! Then is is up to me to decide on the intensity of my training for any given day. . .  .who knows, I may even rest more and take days off!

Definitely more reports to follow on this aspect!

2021 Race Goal 😀🏃‍♂️🚴‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Finally, news from the London Duathlon that was postponed last April due to COVID-19. The new date is now 25 April 21. So I have a race goal! This is very motivational for me.

I have switched back to my 9-day week to ensure I take sufficient rest each week. I am focussing on strength foundation build until the end of Dec 20. Today was my first introduction of hills into my running. But no efforts yet; just technique with a high Z2 HR max. I have built my running back to a decent volume but no real efforts. My hips still ache after running, which is frustrating. But no pain. The rehab stretch and trigger point work continues!

To assist with the run development I managed to grab a bargain couple of NB run trainers. Firstly, a pair of NB Fuelcell Propel. These are cushioned trainers for long distance training. I also bagged a pair of NB Fuelcell Rebel, which are for swifter sessions and racing. New trainers and a goal! Nice one!

I consider myself to be very fortunate for so many reasons. My Zwift set up has been enhanced further with a new 24 inch curved screen. The curved screen really does bring a more immersive experience - I like it muchly. As we move into November and December there will be some dark cold time spent working hard here. 

 My next Blog will focus on the S&C and Kettlebell training I think - seeing as I wrecked my legs today . . . . . 

Injury Rehab, Racing and Will there be a 2021?

 It’s been a month or so since I posted and the focus has been getting back to running and rehab to dress the long-standing hip niggle that really derailed my run training. I’ve been doing the stretch and trigger point exercises; not entirely sure these have contributed to recovery but I have gradually felt better. The last 4 weeks has seen an incremental increase in run distance and time. Today I’m aiming for a long run if 1 hour 15 at around 5:25 per k pace. All my running has been very easy. The aim is to introduce some faster running gradually - no jumping into flat out efforts. I’m hoping that the Enhanced Recovery drink is also helping my recuperation following runs. The NTC discount helps as this stuff is not cheap. But I do feel better when I take it.

I’m really enjoying this running, especially the early sessions when it feels like just me and the world alone. I had been experiencing some hip ache after running but lately that has gone too. So I’m hopeful of being in shape for the London Duathlon in April 21. The question is will there be a race! With a new lockdown, every feel so fragile again. It feels quite depressing. From a race perspective, there are no goals guaranteed. I want to trace and ride the French Alps again but who knows if that’s an option next year. These uncertainties are affecting me and I’m struggling to cope with no race or event goals. However, there is always Zwift racing. 

I’ve linked up with my old RAF Tri buddy Mark ‘Frank’ Whittle. Frank left the RAF way before me and created a coaching business - WhittleFit. He seems to be doing well but I’ve not actually met him for years. As with most contact this year, it’s all virtual. I ride in his Tuesday morning workout and yesterday completed my first Zwift race as a WhittleFit race team member. It was the London 8 course of 2 laps. This includes 2 ascents of Box Hill, which is not massive at 3k average 5%, but at full gas race effort this climb blew the field apart. I was with Frank as we hit the climb. Not sure where the spilt happened but suddenly there was  3 second gap from my group to Frank’s group. I was at my limit and just could not bridge across. It was tantalising but that is Zwift for you. I stayed with my group for the next lap, again a sufferfest up Box Hill. I finished 22 B Cat 24 seconds behind Frank. A very painful hour on the bike! But I can say it was enjoyable now I’ve finished 😃. 

So next week’s race in the series is a 35k TT. I’m going try and set my TT bike up on the Tacx Neo. The rear stays are a real tight fit and I’ve not had the TT bike on the turbo since the Direto. 

This morning I followed up the Zwift race with a run of 14k at 1:15. This was my longest run and my running through October has built well. I have a slight Achilles tweak and the hips ache a bit now but rest day tomorrow with rehab stretch and trigger point stuff. 

See you later - who am I talking to .  . . Nobody reads this any more 🤪